Mr. Speaker, I rise here today to present another petition concerning the use of fracking, better known as hydraulic fracturing, to extract shale gas. That said, there are some other elements involved.

As we know, hydraulic fracturing requires a great deal of water mixed with a lot of chemicals. In fact, one shale gas well can use up to 600 Olympic-size swimming pools of water mixed with one and a half pools of chemicals. That is very troubling.

That is why I am presenting a petition here today on behalf of the Council of Canadians calling on the federal government to take more concrete action on this matter.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honour today to present a petition on behalf of constituents who note that Canada's 400-year-old definition of a human being says that a child does not become a human being until the complete moment of birth. The petitioners argue that modern science refutes that and they call on the House of Commons and Parliament to confirm that every human being is recognized by Canadian law as human, by amending section 223 of the Criminal Code in such a way as to reflect modern science.

Mr. Speaker, I present a petition today on behalf of constituents from the Stephenville area of Random—Burin—St. George's. They are objecting to the government's decision to raise the age of eligibility for OAS from 65 to 67. The petitioners outline several reasons why that would be detrimental, one being that single women would be disproportionately affected by the change, as they tend to rely more heavily on OAS and GIS payments; and another being that low-income Canadians rely far more heavily on OAS and GIS. Indeed, 40% of old age security recipients earn less than $20,000 a year in retirement and 53% earn less than $25,000.

Given those statistics, my constituents are asking the government to reconsider this decision. There is time to do it, and the time is now.

Mr. Speaker, I have a number of petitioners here from St. Catharines and areas beyond. They call upon the government to reverse its decision on the Experimental Lakes initiative, which has been providing basic research and science since 1968 into the valuable resource that all Canadians cherish so greatly. The petitioners note that the government has made a decision to cut back on science and our understanding of our lakes and rivers, all the while gutting environmental legislation. They call upon the government to re-fund basic science.

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from constituents in regard to housing co-ops. Housing co-ops are a wonderful, valuable alternative to owning a home outright. They provide many people throughout Canada with housing.

These petitioners are asking the Government of Canada to recognize the benefits of housing co-ops to our communities by promoting and supporting current housing co-ops and the future of housing co-op development, along with asking the Government of Canada to work with other levels of government to foster a positive environment that would encourage housing co-ops. An excellent example of that would be found in Winnipeg North where we have the Willow Park Housing Co-op complex, two wonderful co-ops.

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present a petition signed by a number of people from beautiful Langley, British Columbia. They say that 92% of Canadians believe that sex selection should be illegal. They are saying that millions of missing women and girls as a result of sex selection is one of the main causes of human trafficking worldwide. They are calling upon the House of Commons to condemn this practice.

Mr. Speaker, I also wish to present a petition on behalf of citizens of Ontario. The petitioners are calling on the government to reverse its decision to close down this research and education centre that benefits people across Canada.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition on behalf of constituents in my riding who support the work of the Grandmothers Advocacy Network. The petition indicates that in sub-Saharan Africa, AIDS still remains a killer of young women and children and that access to AIDS medication continues to be a huge problem. In this country, Canada's access to medicines regime was intended to provide affordable, lifesaving generic medicines, but it is unnecessarily complex. It has only been used once since 2004 and is not likely to be used again in its current form. Therefore, the petitioners call on Parliament to pass Bill C-398 to facilitate the immediate and sustainable flow of lifesaving generic medicines to developing countries.

The first is from residents of St. John's and the surrounding area in my riding and also from Deer Lake in Newfoundland and Labrador. These petitioners are calling on the government to reverse the decision to close the Canadian Coast Guard marine rescue sub-centre base in St. John's, Newfoundland, and to reinstate its staff and restore its services fully. This is one of many petitions that have been circulated and presented on this, and I believe many more are coming.

Mr. Speaker, the petitioners in the second petition are mostly from Ontario and are concerned about the work of the leading freshwater research station at the Experimental Lakes Area. They want the government to change its decision and recognize the importance of this station to the Government of Canada's mandate to study, preserve and protect aquatic ecosystems. This was a leader in basic science research not only for Canada but also around the world on freshwater aquatics and science, and it should be restored.

Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition today to save the Experimental Lakes Area. The petitioners are calling upon the Government of Canada to recognize the importance of the ELA to the Government of Canada's mandate to study, preserve and protect aquatic ecosystems, and to reverse the decision to close the ELA research station and continue to staff and provide financial resources to the ELA at the current or a higher level of commitment.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise here today to present a petition on behalf of citizens of Ontario who are calling on the government to reverse its decision to put an end to the experimental lakes program, because it is an invaluable resource for research in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, I have today a petition signed by petitioners from New Brunswick, as well as British Columbia. It is interesting that two of our coasts are represented here. They are pretty concerned about the effects of hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as fracking, and its impacts on water, climate, wildlife and people's health. They point out that there is a federal issue involved, especially when we consider that it is the federal government that regulates air emissions and is responsible for the Canada Water Act, the Species at Risk Act and the Fisheries Act.

They are looking for some answers from the minister and I can assure the House that the petitioners and I look forward to the minister's response.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my constituents of Parkdale—High Park and many petitioners from Ontario, I am happy to present a petition concerning the Experimental Lakes Area. Since 1968, the ELA has been a global leader in conducting whole ecosystem experiments, which have been critically important and unique in the world. As part of its gutting of environmental legislation in its budget implementation act, the government has cancelled the funding for the ELA.

The petitioners are asking for this decision to be reversed, for the ELA to be fully funded and its financial resources to continue so that we can continue this cutting-edge research.

Mr. Speaker, as you will note, there are a lot of petitions being tabled today on the Experimental Lakes Area and I, too, am tabling a petition on it.

It is important to recognize that since 1968 the Experimental Lakes Area has played an integral role in ecosystem experiments that have been critical in shaping our environment and our effort to understand the impact that humans have on our lakes and fishes.

The petitioners are calling on the government to recognize the importance of the Experimental Lakes Area and reverse its decision to close the Experimental Lakes research station and continue to staff it and provide it with financial resources.

We must take this into account when we consider the changes to the Navigable Waters Protection Act.

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition signed by residents from right across southern Ontario, from small towns and rural communities, who are very concerned about the government's decision to cut the Experimental Lakes research station.

The petitioners are calling on the government to reconsider this vitally important institution and its work in preserving the integrity of our freshwater system.

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions today. The first is in regard to the employment insurance system. It is absolutely vital for families during an economic downturn, and in fact at all times, that they have access to reliable employment insurance. We have seen the demise of a reliable system in the last few parliaments.

The petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to increase the benefit duration to 50 weeks in all regions; make 360 hours the time to qualify for EI benefits in all regions; provide an additional year of special extensions for those folks in very difficult situations; extend part 1 benefits under EI while a worker is in approved training; and increase benefits to at least 60% of normal earnings.

Mr. Speaker, my second petition is in regard to old age security and the tragedy of increasing the age of eligibility from 65 to 67. We know it will hurt the most vulnerable, the poorest of seniors, who will be forced to work an additional two years, thus costing them $12,000 in each of those years.

The petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to maintain the age of retirement eligibility for OAS at 65, and to increase the guaranteed income supplement to lift every Canadian senior out of poverty.

With respect to disaster risk reduction (DRR) and recovery: (a) what is the current value of the government’s infrastructure including, but not limited to, energy, social, tourism, and transportation infrastructure, and what are the government’s contingency liabilities; (b) what percentage of the national budget is devoted to DRR, (i) what stand alone DRR investments has the government made in each of its budgets since 2006, (ii) what percentage of each budget has been allocated to hazard proofing sectoral development investments and, if such allocations have been made, (iii) what amount has the government invested by sector, broken down by budget; (c) what monies have been provided for a national policy and legal framework with decentralised responsibilities, (i) what monies are required, (ii) what are the operational requirements, (iii) what human resources are required; (d) what dedicated resources are available to implement DRR plans and activities, (i) what monies are required, (iii) what are the operational requirements, (iii) what human resources are required; (e) what monies have been allocated to the national multi-sectoral platform; (f) what are the existing resources in regards to systems that monitor, archive and disseminate data on key hazards and vulnerabilities, (i) what monies are required, (ii) what are the operational requirements, (iii) what human resources are required; (g) what would be required to put in place a national public alerting system that would warn Canadians of imminent or unfolding threats to life in place in terms of (i) financial resources, (ii) personnel resources; (h) what resources are allocated to national risk assessments, (i) what monies are required, (ii) what are the operational requirements, (iii) what human resources are required; (i) what resources are allocated to local risk assessments, (i) what monies are required, (ii) what are the operational requirements, (iii) what human resources are required; (j) is information on disasters available to all stakeholders, and what are the resources allocated to ensure data availability, (i) what monies are required, (ii) what are the operational requirements, (iii) what human resources are required; (k) what resources are allocated to countrywide public awareness campaigns to stimulate a culture of disaster resilience, with outreach to urban and rural communities, (i) what monies are required, (ii) what are the operational requirements, (iii) what human resources are required; (l) what are the existing resources regarding economic and productive sectoral policies and plans aimed at reducing the vulnerability of economic activities in the event of a disaster, (i) what monies are required, (ii) what are the operational requirements, (iii) what human resources are required; (m) what resources are allocated to the planning and management of human settlements incorporating DRR elements, including enforcement of building codes, (i) what monies are required, (ii) what are the operational requirements, (iii) what human resources are required; (n) what resources are allocated to disaster risk of major development projects, (i) what monies are required, (ii) what are the operational requirements, (iii) what human resources are required; (o) what resources are allocated to national programmes aimed at making schools and health facilities safe in the case of an emergency, (i) what monies are required, (ii) what human resources are required; (p) what are the institutional commitments for financial reserves and contingency mechanisms in place to support effective response and recovery, (i) what monies are required, (ii) what human resources are required; (q) are procedures in place to exchange relevant information during hazard events and disasters, (i) what monies are required, (ii) what human resources are required; and (r) are procedures in place to undertake post-event reviews, (i) what monies are required, (ii) what human resources are required?

Mr. Speaker, the information requested would require extensive manual research and analysis which would require a significant amount of time as well as human and financial resources to complete which is not feasible in the allotted amount of time.

With regard to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s Scientific Expert Working Group: (a) was the Scientific Expert Working Group aware that on December 7th, 2010, Dr. Beaudet assured the Subcommittee on Neurological Disease that “no physician will refuse to see and treat them for complications of a treatment received abroad”; (b) why did the Scientific Expert Working Group state that “media reports that have stated that Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients who experience complications after Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI) treatment are not being seen by Canadian doctors are not justified”, (i) what patients or patient advocacy groups were interviewed, (ii) what evidence was reviewed, (iii) what action was taken; (c) which of the provincial guidelines for follow up care does the Scientific Expert Working Group support; (d) what was the action undertaken by the government to ensure that all patients receive follow-up care, including patients suffering from complications from CCSVI treatments received abroad; (e) when was the Sub-Committee of the Scientific Expert Working Group formed, (i) why was it formed, (ii) who are the members of the sub-committee, (iii) what prompted a meeting to develop criteria for a recommendation for clinical trials on June 13th, 2011; (f) why did the Scientific Expert Working Group fail to sign a declaration of conflict of interest until June 2011; (g) what specific results were available from the seven MS Society of Canada-funded studies on June 28th 2011; (h) with respect to the Scientific Expert Working Group’s consensus workshop on ultrasound imaging, (i) on what date did the meeting take place, (ii) who was in attendance, (iii) what were the agenda items, (iv) what were the key recommendations, (v) why was Dr. Sandy McDonald not included, (vi) on what items did the group come to consensus; (i) what is the budget for the Scientific Expert Working Group specifically, (i) the monies allotted for 2010-2011, (ii) 2011-2012, (iii) the monies allocated for travel, (iv) the monies allocated for accommodation, (v) why was Agreement no 1148 to be signed at the end of February 2011 for monies that were to be available for 2010-2011; (j) with respect to Agreement no 1148 to support the Scientific Expert Working Group between the CIHR and the MS Society of Canada, (i) was the agreement ever signed and, if so (i) on what date, (ii) who made the grant application for the President’s Fund and on what date, (iii) what was the grant specifically for, (iv) why is the MS Society of Canada responsible for planning, support and implementation of the Scientific Expert Working Group, (v) what action is being taken to ensure that there are no conflicts of interest; (k) how many researchers/research groups applied for the Phase 1/11 clinical trial, and from what institutions; and (l) what has caused the delay in announcing the research team which was to be named by mid-April 2012?

Leona AglukkaqConservativeMinister of Health and Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency

Mr. Speaker, with regard to the CIHR scientific expert working group, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research established a scientific expert working group, SEWG, to monitor and analyze results from seven U.S. and Canadian MS societies funded studies, as well as from other related studies from around the world related to venous anatomy and MS.

On June 28, 2011, the SEWG reviewed data relating to CCSVI presented at international meetings and then were presented the draft results of a systematic review of peer-reviewed publications regarding CCSVI and MS. An update was provided by study investigators regarding progress of the seven North American studies funded by the MS Society of Canada and U.S. National MS Society. At that time, all seven funded studies had made good progress, many were well on their way to having their target number of subjects recruited, and a total of 1,267 individual with MS and controls were expected to be recruited over the course of the studies.

The SEWG is not mandated to make recommendations on the follow-up care of patients who underwent the CCSVI procedure abroad. The working group did not publish any statements on this issue.

Information on the SEWG, including its terms of reference and the highlights of its meetings, is available at: http://www.cihr.ca/e/44360.html. All members of the SEWG agreed to the CIHR confidentiality and conflict of interest policy.

Primary responsibility for matters related to the administration and delivery of health care services falls within the purview of provincial and territorial governments. Several provincial authorities such as the colleges of physicians and surgeons of Alberta, Nova Scotia and Québec, as well as the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care have released guidelines and policies to help physicians in their respective jurisdictions make the best medical decisions for MS patients who were treated for CCSVI outside Canada. Information cited above is available from the provincial authorities.

With regard to the consensus workshop, in February 2011, CIHR provided a one-time grant to the MS Society of Canada to provide operational support for the SEWG. This support included the organization of a consensus workshop in September 2011 on ultrasound imaging techniques.

This grant represents a total investment of $317,500, $158,750 per year, and was funded for a two-year period from April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2012. On February 29, 2012, CIHR informed the MS Society of Canada that the grant was automatically extended until March 31, 2013.

The agreement for this grant was signed on March 2, 2011 by Dr. Alain Beaudet, president of CIHR and Yves Savoie, president and chief executive officer of the MS Society of Canada.

The consensus workshop was held on September 6, 2012 in Toronto. CIHR employees were not involved in the organization or running of this consensus workshop. The workshop helped with the development of a protocol to be incorporated into the trial design. This protocol was part of the request for applications developed by CIHR. For additional information visit: http://www.researchnet-recherchenet.ca/rnr16/viewOpportunityDetails.do?progCd=10266&language=E&fodAgency=CIHR&view=browseArchive&browseArc=true&org=CIHR#moreinformation.

With regard to research proposals, since researchers must be affiliated with an eligible Canadian institution or organization to apply for CIHR funding, applications were only received from Canadian researchers. To respect privacy and confidentiality, CIHR cannot share the number of applications received and only information regarding the successful applicants is published on CIHR’s website.

In April 2012, CIHR announced that a research team was selected through a rigorous peer-review process to conduct a phase I/II clinical trial on CCSVI. To protect the independence of the institutional research ethics boards, REBs, the names of the research team's members and institutions involved have been withheld until REB approval. Once the selected team received ethics approval for two sites, Vancouver and Montreal, the Minister of Health announced the name of the principal investigator of the study: http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/45919.html.

Two additional sites, Winnipeg and Quebec, are still seeking ethics approval, a process that is totally independent from CIHR.